Prolonged casino game method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game for money has a display to show play progress. A processor runs the game play as base and/or the bonus games. The processor connects to the display. Memory in the processor operates a program; runs the game with at least one hidden attribute for each of a finite number of icons and at least two hidden attributes for at least one of the icons. An initial number of player&#39;s picks adds picks with the one hidden attribute or attributes to prolong the game. Play controls couple to the processor and the display to pick one of the icons and reveal the hidden attribute or attributes on the icon picked and awarded. A processor return path resumes operation of the game after the initial number of picks and any others revealed are used. Method steps of game play has steps of ascribing at least one hidden attribute to each of the finite number of icons and ascribing at least two hidden attributes to at least one of the icons. Giving the player an initial number of picks then shown to the player is a step. Letting the player pick one icon and revealing to the player the hidden attribute or attributes on the icon picked by the player are steps. Awarding the player the revealed attribute or attributes including modification of the number of picks are steps. Repeating the steps letting, revealing and awarding until the end of the game occurs when the player&#39;s picks are used up.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to casino games and, in particular, tocasino bonus games giving a player chances to make selections as part ofthe bonus game play.

Bonus games on casino slot machines have become very popular. To play abonus game, a player typically must qualify by aligning several specialsymbols on the underlying traditional game. Play then switches over to abonus game (either in a separate apparatus or a separate screen, e.g.),in which the player participates without additional wager but typicallywith an award at its conclusion. The amount of the bonus award isdetermined during and by bonus play.

Among bonus games, those in which the player chooses from among aplurality of objects are common.

For example, the games, Reel 'Em In! and Filthy Rich by WMS Gamingcontain bonuses in which the player is presented with 5 objects (e.g.,fishermen, pigs) and chooses one of them to reveal an award. The gameSphinx by Atronic also affords the player a choice of 5 objects, four ofwhich reveal an immediate award, and one of which advances the player toan additional choice of 5 objects comprising larger awards.

The games American Pride by CDS (U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,976) and Pick 'NPop by Anchor contain bonuses in which the player is presented with apredetermined number of objects (e.g., stars, balloons), each of whichhas an associated award. The player chooses until matching two awards;the matching award is then given to the player. The game The Munsters byIGT contains a bonus in which the player is presented with apredetermined number of objects, each of which has an associated award.The player chooses until matching three awards, which is then given tothe player.

The games Jackpot Party and Monopoly Chairman of the Board by WMS Gaming(European Patent Application EP 0945837A2) contain a bonus in which theplayer is presented with a predetermined number of objects (e.g., boxes,cards) and chooses until selecting an “end of game” object (e.g., Go toJail). Additionally, some objects (e.g., Get Out of Jail Free) may grantthe player a nullification of a future “end of game” choice. The gameScrabble by WMS Gaming has a bonus in which the player chooses fromvarious objects, until finding three “end of game” objects. Some objectsgrant the player a nullification of an “end of game” object.

The game Who Dunnit? By WMS Gaming (U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,097) has a bonusgame in which the player makes choices (e.g., suspects) until finding adesired choice (e.g., the guilty suspect), with successively lowerawards depending on how many choices are required to make the desiredchoice.

The game Sphinx by Atronic contains a bonus in which the player choosesfrom among five objects. Four of the objects have awards, and the fifthadvances the player to another set of five objects, all of which haveenhanced awards.

The game Battleship All Aboard by Mikohn, the assignee of the presentdisclosure, has a bonus in which the player chooses from among fiveobjects (e.g., flags), four of which have awards, and one of whichadvances the player to a different bonus game.

2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

While the current state of bonus play suggests a variety of bonus gameswith choices, they share in common that each choice reveals oneassociated value. It would be desirable to create a bonus game in whicha player choice of an object revealed two or more associations, one ofwhich may be an award. In practice, the second association may be amodification of the number of choices remaining or a modification ofother attributes associated with the bonus game.

3. SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

The solution, as presented herein, comprises a bonus game in which theplayer begins with an initial number of picks, or choices, and selectsfrom among a plurality of objects. Associated with some objects is morethan one action. For example, while some objects may have only oneassociation (an award), other objects have two associations (an awardand additional picks). In this manner, the player's enjoyment of playingthe bonus game may be prolonged, since some choices yield additionalpicks.

It is an advantage that the casino bonus game as disclosed herein allowsthe player different ways to pick awards, either with or withoutadditional picks.

It is a further advantage that the casino bonus game disclosed hereinhas significant suspense for the player in making choices that may ormay not yield additional picks.

It is a further advantage that the casino bonus game as disclosed hereinis one in which the player does not know when the bonus game will end.

It is a further advantage that the casino bonus game as disclosed hereinis one in which all of the objects' award values may be successfullychosen by the player choosing a “winner takes all” object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one apparatus preferably including abase game and a bonus game including the methods capable of prolongedplay.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart including the steps of the preferred methods ofprolonged play of the bonus game.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of 15 globes distributed in a 3 by5 matrix on the video screen of a bonus game.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one apparatus 10 preferably including abase game and/or a bonus game including the methods capable of prolongedplay. In a preferred embodiment, the base game is a five-reel video slotmachine, with the bonus game initiated via a combination of specialreel-strip symbols referred to as trigger symbols. FIG. 1 theperspective view of apparatus 10 preferably includes the five-reel videoslot machine having the bonus game both of which can appear on videoscreen 11 in sequence. That is, if the base game is a five-reel slotthen the video screen 11 shows that game until entry to the bonus gameis achieved thereafter the prolonged game disclosed and described hereinafter appears on the video screen 11.

The video screen 11 is used to simulate reel motion of a mechanical slotmachine during the play of the five-reel slot machine and is also usedas a display 12 for the bonus game to the player. Such video screens 11are commonly a part of casino games including slot machines on the videoscreen 11. The video screen 11 can be the display 12 for a softwareprogram 13 with memory 14 in a processor 15 to deliver graphs to thedisplay 12 and sound to simulate any kind of interactive game desired.In FIG. 1 the software program 13 with memory 14 in processor 15 isshown at the bottom of apparatus 10 whereat it is cutaway. Skilledartisans have produced a wide variety of such displays 12 to appeal toplayers and provide practically any type of challenge to the player.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart including steps included in the preferred methodsof prolonged play of the bonus game. The flow chart of FIG. 2 is merelyrepresentative of some steps of the method of play and how they followand interrelate with one another. Of particular interest is the arrowfrom the penultimate block that returns upwardly to prolong play inaccord with the disclosure of examples herein after presented.

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation showing 15 globes 16 distributed ina 3 by 5 matrix on the video screen 11 of a bonus game of apparatus 10of FIG. 1. In a first preferred method of play suitable for a bonus gameof questions and answers such as, “Ripley's Believe It or Not!”, thefifteen objects or icons (used interchangeable herein) are representedas globes 16 in FIG. 3. The globes 16 are distributed in a 3×5 matrix onthe screen as shown in FIG. 3. However, any suitable on-screen depictionis possible and within the scope of the present disclosure. Three ormore trigger symbols on the five reel slot display are required to startthe bonus game. When three trigger or initiation symbols qualified theplayer for the bonus round, then the player is initially given threeselections, choices, or picks (these terms are used interchangeablythroughout this disclosure). Likewise, when four trigger symbolsqualified the player, then the player is initially given fourselections. Consider the following tabular representation of thepossible results when objects or icons (in this instance “Globes” arepresented on the bonus game video screen for the player to select: GlobeValue position Hidden Extra Picks 1 1x 0 2 1x 0 3 1x 0 4 1x 2 5 2x 0 62x 0 7 2x 1 8 3x 0 9 3x 1 10 4x 1 11 5x 0 12 6x 0 13 8x 0 14 “BelieveIt” 0 15 “Not!” 0

All the globes 16 have an attribute and all but two globes 16, in thetable above have an associated “value” which is hidden. At such time asthe player chooses a globe 16, that globe 16 appears on the video screen11 to rotate on its axis (not shown) but “preferably vertical” to showor reveal the associated value of that selected globe's 16, oppositeside. Clearly, the globe 16 once revealed will not again be availablefor selection or the player. Thus, all future selections must be fromremaining unselected globes 16. Each of the associated values ifnumerical, is to be multiplied by the total wager made in currency slot17 by the player to determined the player's bonus award. If theattribute on the picked globe 16 when rotated into view is one of thetwo phrases (i.e., “Believe It” or “Not!”), no immediate award is givenas both phrases are needed in order to receive an award. Some globes 16may also have another hidden attribute, one or more extra picks, inconjunction with a numerical value. The play of the bonus game is overwhen the player's picks are exhausted or used up and the bonus awardmade.

As globes 16 are chosen, player receives credits for the associatedawards and (as appropriate) additional associated picks. If playerselected both the “Believe It” and “Not!” globes 16, then 15× theplayer's wager is awarded. By way of example, in a possible game theplayer begins with a wager and then 3 picks. The first pick is a globe16 at position 12 (in the preceding table) and awards the player 6× thewager made. The number of picks decrements to 2 remaining, that is, 3picks minus 1. Suppose the second pick is globe 16 in position 4 in thetable. The player is then awarded 2× the wager made plus two additionalpicks, decreasing the players remaining 2 picks by 1 before adding thetwo picks won so that now 3 picks are left. The player's third pick isglobe 1 which awards the player 1× the wager made, leaving the playerwith 2 picks remaining. Now the prolongation of the bonus play can beunderstood from this example. Assume the player's fourth pick is globe16 in position 7 of the example table and awards the player 2× the wagermade and an additional pick, leaving the player with 2 picks remaining.If the players fifth pick is globe 16, table position 14 and the playerreceives no numerical value award and no additional picks. In theprolonged bonus play the player has 1 pick remaining. The player's sixthpick is globe 16 in table position 13 and awards the player 8× the wagermade, leaving the player with no more picks. Hence the bonus game playis over, and the player would be awarded a grand total of6×+2×+1×+2×+8×=19× the wager made for playing the bonus game. Note thatif, on the final pick, the player had instead chosen globe 16, inposition 15, then 15× the wager would be awarded for picking both globe16, in position 14 and globe 16 of position 15 so the players win is 11plus 15 for a total of 26.

It should be appreciated that while the player began with only 3 picks,by choosing globes 16 that yielded additional picks, the playerssuccessful selection enabled prolonged the bonus play totaling 6 picks.It is a feature of this method of play that a player may be able toconsiderably extend the time spent playing a bonus game. Any means canbe used to make picks such as touch screen technology or the controls 19in FIG. 1. A place 20 is on the display 12 presents icons to the playerhiding the one or more attributes. A return path 21, as shown in FIG. 2,follows the path of the arrow from the penultimate block that returnsupwardly to prolong play. The processor 15 has the program 14 and memory13 for resuming operation of the base game after the player's initialnumber of choices and any others revealed are used. Where there is nobase game the prolonged game is merely restarted with another wager asper the flow in FIG. 2.

In a second embodiment particularly suitable to playing a casinoadaptation of the home board game, “Clue”, cards 20 are used as objectsinstead of the globes 16 in the preceding example. The icons in thisexample are cards 20 are initially disposed with their faces down oraway from the player's view of the video screen 11 hence all suchpredisposed face down cards 20 appear identical. Illustrative of thecards 20 would be FIG. 3 which can be understood to have the 3 by 5matrix showing cards 20 (with any picture but here globe like pictureson the back of each). Once selected, each card 20 animates and turnsface-up to reveal the name of a Clue® game character (e.g., ColonelMustard) and hidden value (e.g., 15×), possibly in conjunction with arevealed number of extra picks (e.g., +1 pick). In addition, certaincards, rather than revealing a value, “warp” (move via the text “SecretPassage”) the player to another set of icons or objects with generallygreater values. Consider the following table example of how such a“Clue”® casino video game might be played: Suspect screen Miss Scarlet10 Colonel Mustard 15 +1 pick Mrs. White 20 Mr. Green 25 +2 picks Mrs.Peacock 30 Professor Plum 35 Secret Passage to Weapon Screen Weaponscreen Knife 20 Lead Pipe 30 +1 pick Rope 40 Wrench 50 Revolver 60Candlestick 25 Secret Passage to Room Screen Room screen Ballroom 100Conservatory 200 Billiard Room 300 Library 400 Study 500 Hall 250 Lounge175 Dining Room 125 +1 pick Kitchen 150

The player always starts at the “Suspect” video screen 11 and isinitially given 2 picks. As before, the player chooses hidden icons,objects or cards, in this case face down cards 20. Once chosen, eachcard 20 turns to reveal its face. The hidden value revealed, (multipliedby the player's wager) is awarded by credit or coin pay out to theplayer. Also as before, should the player choose a card 20 that awardsadditional picks, this is added to the player's current number of picksremaining. Additionally, however, should the player select the card 20that reveals “Secret Passage,” the video screen warps changing to show anew set of icons or objects for the player to select from and tocontinue the bonus play. In a preferred embodiment, the choosing of the“Secret Passage” would not use up that pick.

A possible game is described by way of example. The player begins in theSuspect screen with 2 picks. Suppose the first card picked revealsProfessor Plum and awards the player 35× the wager made whiledecrementing the number of picks from 2 to 1. The player's second pickis the Secret Passage card and that “Warps” the player to the Weaponscreen, still with the 1 pick remaining since in the preferredembodiment selecting the Secret Passage has not used up a pick. If theplayer's third pick is the Lead Pipe, the bonus award is 30× the wagermade, leaving the player with 1 pick remaining. The player's fourth pickmight be the Rope and the player award of 40× the wager made and no morepicks remaining. Hence the game is over, and the player would be awardedfor playing the bonus game a grand total of 35×+30×+40×=105× the wagermade.

By finding the hidden “warp” card 20, the player may be given new setsof cards 20 or icons or any other objects to select from whose value isgenerally greater than those of the current set on the video screen 11prior to revealing the “warp” card. Prolongation of the bonus playcontinues interest in the base game and creates suspenseful play in thebonus game.

Note that it is possible to set a “goal” or “target” for the game byhaving one object serve as the grand prize. For example, it is possiblefor an icon, object or card 20 to have a hidden value that is not aspecific numerical value but rather the sum of all other numericalvalues. In this manner, the game has, as its goal, to select the objectwith the “Winner Take All” award value. Of course, the examples andteachings of this disclosure with regard to numerical awards and extrapicks are equally useful and valid in such a play scheme or environment.

While the terms selections, choices, or picks and similarly globes,cards, objects or icons are used interchangeably throughout, theintention is to include the wide range of appropriate dictionarydefinitions or meanings those terms within the context of thisdisclosure and the appended claims. Although attributes such as values,modifications, extra picks, grand prize, etc. are specifically disclosedany attributes that prolong the bonus play are sought to be within thescope of the claims. Skilled artisans will appreciate that a widevariety of object arrangements can be programmed, for example into acomputer that drives the video bonus screen(s) during play of the bonusgame.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A method of operating a bonus casino game whenentered from a base casino game, the base casino game operable inresponse to a wager received from a player, the method comprising:providing said bonus casino game with a plurality of sets of icons, eachof the plurality of sets of icons forming a different play screen in thebonus casino game; displaying on a display of the bonus casino game aset of icons from said plurality of sets of icons during operation ofthe bonus casino game, the set of icons forming a play screen; at leastone icon in the set of icons having a hidden warp attribute thatprovides a warp to a designated set in the remaining plurality of setsof icons; receiving a number of inputs from the player in the bonuscasino game, each input occurring when the player chooses one icon fromthe plurality of sets; revealing to the player in the display when theicon chosen by the player has the hidden warp attribute; displaying onthe display the icons from the designated set of icons in response torevealing the hidden warp attribute, the designated set of icons forminganother play screen; continuing to receive inputs from the player in thedesignated set of icons displayed in the display; ending the bonuscasino game when the number of inputs are used up by the player.
 22. Themethod of claim 21 wherein the received input revealing the hidden warpattribute is not used in the number of inputs.
 23. The method of claim21 wherein the remaining icons not having the hidden warp attribute inthe set have hidden values; when one of the remaining icons in the setis chosen by the player, revealing a hidden value and then awarding anaward based on the revealed value to the player.
 24. The method of claim21 wherein all of the icons in the designated set have hidden values;when one of the aforesaid icons is chosen by the player, revealing ahidden value and then awarding an award based on the revealed value tothe player.
 25. The method of claim 21 wherein some of the icons in thedesignated set have hidden values; when one of the aforesaid icons ischosen by the player, revealing a hidden value and then awarding anaward based on the revealed value to the player.
 26. The method of claimwherein 21 wherein the remaining icons not having a hidden warpattribute in the plurality of sets have hidden values; when one of theremaining icons is chosen by the player, revealing the hidden value andthen awarding an award based on the revealed value to the player. 27.The method of claim 26 wherein one of remaining icons in the pluralityof sets is a hidden grand prize; when the aforesaid one icon is chosenby the player, revealing the grand prize and then awarding the grandprize to the player; the grand prize being an award based on the sum ofall of the aforesaid hidden values.
 28. The method of claim 21 whereineach icon is a card with the face of the card displayed down in thedisplay so that all face down cards in the display are identical; when aface down card is chosen by the player, revealing the face of the card.29. The method of claim 21 wherein the set and the designated set oficons are each displayed in a matrix on the display.
 30. A method ofoperating a bonus casino game when entered from a base casino game, thebase casino game operable in response to a wager received from a player,the method comprising: providing said bonus casino game with a pluralityof sets of icons, each of the plurality of sets of icons forming adifferent play screen in the bonus casino game; displaying on a displayof the bonus casino game a set of icons from said plurality of sets oficons during operation of the bonus casino game, the set of iconsforming a play screen, at least one icon in the set of icons having ahidden warp attribute that provides a warp to a designated set in theremaining plurality of sets of icons, the remaining icons not having thehidden warp attribute in the set having hidden values; receiving aninput from the player in the bonus casino game when the player choosesone icon from the set of icons on the display; revealing to the playerin the display when the icon chosen by the player has the hidden warpattribute or a hidden value; providing an award based on the aforesaidrevealed value to the player in response to revealing the hidden value;displaying on the display the icons from the designated set of icons inresponse to revealing the hidden warp attribute, the designated set oficons forming another play screen; some of the icons in the designatedset having higher hidden values, the higher hidden values in thedesignated set of icons having values greater than the hidden values inthe set of icons; receiving another input from the player in the bonuscasino game when the player chooses one of the aforesaid icons in thedesignated set on the display; revealing to the player in the displaywhen the aforesaid one icon chosen by the player has a higher hiddenvalue; providing a higher award based on the aforesaid revealed highervalue to the player.
 31. The method of claim 30 wherein the hiddenvalues and the higher hidden values are multiple values and wherein theaward and the higher award are each based on the multiple of therevealed value times the wager.
 32. A method of operating a bonus casinogame when entered from a base casino game, the base casino game operablein response to a wager received from a player, the method comprising:providing said bonus casino game with three of sets of icons, the threeof sets of icons forming three play screens; displaying on a display ofthe bonus casino game the first set of icons when the bonus casino gameis entered from the base casino game, the first set of icons forming thefirst play screen during operation of the bonus casino game; one icon inthe first set of icons having a first hidden warp attribute thatprovides a warp to the second set of icons; receiving at least one inputfrom the player choosing an icon displayed in the first set on thedisplay; revealing to the player in the display when the icon chosen inthe first set by the player has the first hidden warp attribute;displaying on the display the icons from the second set of icons inresponse to revealing the first hidden warp attribute, the second set oficons forming the second play screen during operation of the bonuscasino game; one icon in the second set of icons having a second hiddenwarp attribute that provides a warp to the third set of icons; receivingat least one input from the player choosing an icon displayed in thesecond set on the display; revealing to the player in the display whenthe icon chosen in the second set by the player has the second hiddenwarp attribute; displaying on the display the icons from the third setof icons in response to revealing the second hidden warp attribute, thethird set of icons forming the third play screen during operation of thebonus casino game.
 33. The method of claim 32 wherein each of theremaining icons in the three sets of icons not having a first and secondhidden warp attribute have a hidden value and further comprising:receiving at least one input from the player choosing an icon displayedin the third play screen on the display; providing an award to theplayer based on all hidden values revealed in response to receiving theat least one input from the player choosing an icon in the first, secondand third sets of icons during operation of the bonus casino game. 34.The method of claim 32 wherein the hidden values are multiple values andwherein the award and is based on the multiples of the revealed hiddenvalue times the wager.